Yet another chapter in the all hat, no cattle presidency...

This is clearly a Bush Administration failure, that could easily be spun as "why we need him there" BS. I hope reasonable people do not let them spin this away, and drive home exactly how Bush is directly responsible for allowing a rogue state to develop nuclear weapons while he pursues contained countries, to turn them into failed, terrorists states.

Number of nukes made under Clinton? Zero.

Bush????

First of all they should not have told Bush about this nuklur thing cause he's just gonna screw it up more. Bush is gonna address the nation; bwahahaha!

Second, all we need to do is send Bolton over there to yell and scream at those N. Koreans for them to know they are really, really in big trouble now!

The nuclear test by North Korea is another tragic and miserable failure of six years of "non-diplomacy" by this stunningly incompetent Bush administration. Japan and South Korea will not stay "nuclear passive" with this developement. Iran will watch closely the world's response, and if enemic, will be even more emboldened to continue enrichment.

Whatever happens next, nations who have the wherewithal, will review options in their nuclear portfolio. The worst of the worst has happened, for now the messianic muslim terrorists have a "guaranteed unconscionable" source to shop for muclear toys.

Another blustering Bush lie will be unfolding with this developement. His past threats lay open like a festering wound, and like the "axis of evil" diplomatic blunder, it is tragically, "put up or shut up time" for this administration. The October surprise unfolds. The gamblers are stirring, and making bets as to what happens next is the new excitement. However it unfolds, it is a lose lose wager for world peace.

Any chance to monopolize the media with something other than Afghanistan, Iraq, or Foley
must make it feel like Xmas in the WH, this time with a real nuke under the tree.
Bush will read another speech, cooked up in the WH kitchen to make us really afraid, trembling little creatures that we are.
In any normal job those "running the world" would have been allowed to spend more time with their families long ago.

What is the deal with China?

Can anyone recommend a book or article that I can read so that I can understand China's role in this?

N Korea did this while the Japanese minister was visiting China, and at a time that Chinese-American relations were getting more attention.

If China did not know it was going to happen then this is extraordinarily provocative on NK's part. China could squash NK like a bug. I find the argument that China doesn't want NK to implode because of a refugee proble unconvincing. It would be better than being jerked around by a near insane dicator. Talk about the tail wagging the dog!

What gives?

What are there now, maybe 9 people that hang on Bush's every word? He's the falling tree in a deserted forest. Did you hear something? Me neither.

According to Woodward, Prince Bandar, Ambassador from Saudi Arabia, and Executive Policy Advisor to Bush, wrote --

"George W. pulled Bandar aside.

"Bandar, I guess you're the best asshole who knows about the world. Explain to me one thing."

"Governor, what is it?"

"Why should I care about North Korea?"

Bandar said he didn't really know. It was one of the few countries that he did not work on for King Fahd.

"I get these briefings on all parts of the world," Bush said, "and everybody is talking to me about North Korea."

"I'll tell you what, Governor," Bandar said. "One reason should make you care about North Korea."

"All right, smart alek," Bush said, "tell me."

"The 38,000 American troops right on the border." ..."If nothing else counts, this counts. One shot across the border and you lose half these people immediately. You lose 15,000 Americans in a chemical or biological or even regular attack. The United State of America is at war instantly."

"Hmmm," Bush said. "I wish those assholes would put things just point-blank to me. I get half a book telling me about the history of North Korea."

"Now I tell you another answer to that. You don't want to care about North Korea anymore?" Bandar asked. The Saudis wanted America to focus on the Middle East and not get drawn into a conflict in East Asia.

"I didn't say that," Bush replied.

"But if you don't, you withdrawl those troops back. Then it becomes a local conflict. Then you have the whole time to decide, 'Should I get involved? Not involved?' Etc."

At that moment, Colin Powell approached.

"Colin," Bush said, "come here. Bandar and I were shooting the bull, just two fighter pilots shooting the bull." He didn't mention the topic.

"Mr. Governor," Bandar said, "General Powell is almost a fighter pilot. He can shoot the bull almost as good as us."

Bob Woodward, "State of Denial", 2006

p.s. also see DemocracyNow's
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/04/20/1410236

Kim isn't worried about the US; he's more worried about China:

"Kim Jong Il’s compulsion to demonstrate his missile prowess is a sign of his weakness. Contrary to popular perception in the United States, Kim doesn’t stay up at night worrying about what the Americans might do to him; it’s not North Korea’s weakness relative to the United States that preoccupies him. Rather, if he does stay up late worrying, it’s about China. He knows the Chinese have always had a greater interest in North Korea’s geography—with its additional outlets to the sea close to Russia—than they have in the long-term survival of his regime. (Like us, even as they want the regime to survive, the Chinese have plans for the northern half of the Korean peninsula that do not include the “Dear Leader.”) One of Kim’s main goals in so aggressively displaying North Korea’s missile capacity is to compel the United States to deal directly with him, thereby making his otherwise weakening state seem stronger. And the stronger Pyongyang appears to be, the better off it is in its crucial dealings with Beijing, which are what really matter to Kim."

Robert Kaplan
"When North Korea Falls"
The Atlantic Monthly, October 2006
http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200610/kaplan-korea

Bush: 'Why should I care about North Korea?' Woodward recalls in new book

Absolutely the worst President and worst admin. in U.S. history

Heres how the S. Korea/N.Korea scene was shaping up before this asshole Bush blocked the sunshine.

Thursday, 15 June, 2000
World welcomes Korean sunshine

http://tinyurl.com/fepbu

"Expectations were running high in South Korea before President Kim Dae-jung left for his landmark summit in the North. Summit-fever had developed as the date for the first all-important handshake drew near. But in Korea and around the world, those hopes turned to astonishment as the full implications of the summit became clear. South Korean President Kim Dae-jung's "sunshine policy" towards the North appeared finally to be bearing fruit."

A flashback from 4-3-02 --

"US grants N Korea nuclear funds"

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/1908571.stm

good morning, thes it is a comment, in about some crude, for many must to know, to stay aware at the stept people, from other's goverments, that the wife's expresident 1984 to 1988, she said to mr,wineberguer, in about to end with the exdpresident life out side the hotel, the general he show up, the poor and nasty as pretending from the wife's expresident in sending to end with the expresident life, plus wineberger he answer back, with a, how full true? she does, to can said that to mr,winebereg, some how she does full true?, none body knowing? in about she does saying, the wife's expresident, she answer back to mr,wineberger, that any body arround them are from the soviet team all ready, to end with the american's life, except the same expresident 1984 to 1988, mr,wineberger, he argue at the wife's expresident any way, but he just to be full true, the wife's expresident, she does a low criminal, but any how mr,winebergber he take it to go on with the wife's expresident, but them start some to figth, the other latin woman she were all ready to attak, she were working with that, from inside the treausre department from the united states from america, she deal with the wife's expresident, it because the, american expresident 1984 to 1988.- he start to argue to the treauser department in about some wrong duties, the treauser department, latin womam, she start to be worry to be uncovere, because the much expresident's calls, to the treasure department, the latin woman she were dealing and talking by out side and under the water with militar persons, and with foringers, and the expresident, them know it is a very big'est felony from the treausre departmnet to talk about war under the water, this it is the crime the treauser department them were dealing with other goverments in about to kill to the entire american govermnet 1984 to 1988, the latin womna she got that crazy, she call to mexican germans and to the swiss bank, to end with the american goverment, the latin woman she send to an american genereal to the swiss country to work to the world bank, to fix the attack, any how the expresident he got mad at the soviets after the attak, 1984 to 1988, and send to end with the communism upon the conflict became, after the american expresident attak, 1984 to 1988, many genreal them run, other another runed to mexico, of course with the mexicans help, the treauser department them staying working, with a cain of militar regimen, any body must to stay quiet about, them holding quiet to the public, with the hijaked, news maker industry in hand of the germans, the same expresident he got hijaked, he can't talk with the true, the latin woman and the militar them had fun, of that at the expresident, because the criminals band them said them are over power. it like swiss the treauser departmnet, the militars, all of them at the democracy and at the capitalism, them don't want to take it, this is not communism, this odd people from swiss them are jealous and how mad at the americans rich people, because them gorgeous big'est bussines places
and those, nasty swiss, dealing with poor american people, from the goverment and poor militars, the most crude and powerfull she does the latin woman inside the treauser department, she got crazy bleaming at any body at shen want, may me she stole some and she just wan t to hide her own, must to stay aware have a fine day thank you.-